Joe Kent’s recent resignation over the war in Iran has exposed a rift among President Trump’s most ardent online backers. A spokesman for Charlie Kirk has named Kent as a possible source of leaked private group texts to Candace Owens after allegations aired on a podcast. Semafor reports that the FBI is probing whether Kent disclosed classified material; Kent denies the charges and did not respond to Semafor’s request for comment.
Joe Kent Deepens Rift Within Trump’s Online Base as Leak Allegations and FBI Probe Emerge
The controversy around Joe Kent, a former National Counterterrorism Center official who publicly resigned this month in protest of the war in Iran, is deepening divisions among some of President Donald Trump’s most vocal online supporters.
That split has brought fresh scrutiny to allegations of leaked communications. On Monday, Andrew Kolvet, a spokesman for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, identified Kent as a potential source of private group text messages that reportedly were shared with commentator Candace Owens after a podcast made the claim.
As first reported by Semafor, Kent is also the subject of an FBI inquiry into whether he disclosed classified material. White House officials publicly accused him of leaking information shortly after his resignation.
Kent's Response: Kent has vehemently denied the allegations. According to Semafor, he did not respond to the outlet’s request for comment.
The episode underscores widening tensions within pro-Trump online networks over loyalty, leaks and dissent on foreign policy. How investigators and party leaders respond could either deepen the split or help resolve it.
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